Exploring Miami - Golden Beach Boulder Reef Snorkeling
Sometimes I forget I live in Miami. In daily routine I
forget that the breathtaking turquoise ocean is just minutes away from my
apartment. I forget how great it is to feel the waves with your bare feet, to inhale
salty air and to enjoy the touch of hot sand on your skin… Days like yesterday bring
so much joy and happiness and remind how lucky we are to live in such paradise!
What most people dream of having once a year during their
two weeks’ vacations – we can have every day just a few steps away. Isn’t that
amazing? I think so! Being originally from Siberia (yes, it is cold there, very
Very cold), I’ve always had a dream of living somewhere in the South, with palm
trees instead of pine trees and vines on the walls instead of icicles on the
roofs. I guess my dream came true – I live in Miami and I love it here! Don’t
get me wrong though – I love my home town Tomsk likewise. It’s just that kind
of love which prefers a long distance relationship :)
Ok, enough of sentimentality and down to business. I’ve
lived in North Miami for 10 years now (so I guess I can call myself a local)
but I’ve never known that we have reefs so close to the beach here! Beautiful and full of marine life
reefs, just like at Key Largo, only for free and easily accessible by swimming from
the beach.
Golden Beach Boulder Reef is an artificial reef which was
created in 2005 of limestone boulders. They are arranged in three patches of reefs,
about 40 feet apart, and located right behind the Ramada Resort in Sunny Isles
Beach. Find the exact location and more details here.
We had tons of fun snorkeling so close to the beach! While
this reef is not very big, there is plenty to see and to explore. The orange
corals are very bright and provide nests for sea urchins' families. The fish is
abundant, only not used to snorkelers and shy - so you have to chase it to take
a picture.
Next time we’ll go early in the morning to catch it asleep! :) We spotted two huge sting rays as well.
Sooooo - if you visit Miami, I highly recommend
snorkeling at Golden Beach Boulder Reef:
- Easy to access
- NO crowds of noisy tourists
- And it is completely FREE!
Oh, and don’t forget to appreciate the place you live at
(even if it’s no Miami :) In our wanderlust we tend to forget about the beauty and wonderful things we
have around us and neglect cities, towns, villages, islands, hills and
mountains we have at our doorsteps… I guess what I am trying to say - love your
home! I am sure it is wonderful!
My favorite place in my home is the balcony and the view. It
is just so cozy in here – I love you, home!
Thanks for visiting my space!
Read about Snorkeling at Key Largo Here
This looks like SO much fun! If I ever find myself in Miami I definitely need to do this, thanks for sharing! :)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mintnotion.com
Yay!!! I am happy to share! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing balcony space to call home! I didn't grow up near the water so I can only imagine how wonderful it must be to have people's holiday activities at your disposal all the time! I agree it's so important to take advantage of all that there is to offer wherever it is that we live. :-)
ReplyDeleteSilly Medley: Lifestyle and Travel
Oh yes, this balcony survived so many gatherings and parties. I'm pretty sure it holds some fun memories! :D
ReplyDeleteIt's so easy to get use to your home town and forget what it has to offer you! It looks like you had a fun time together and all of your photos are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Alexandria! You are so right - we get used to where we live and simply stop noticing how wonderful those places are. We should put a reminder on our calenders - time to show some love and appreciation for your home/city/neighborhood etc :)
DeleteThose are some cool underwater photos! Did you use a go pro? I also love snorkeling and scuba diving so I was thinking of investing in one - not sure yet though!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Naila! Yes, we used Go Pro 4. Gotta tell you - I absolutely love it! I am still trying to grasp the skills and knowledge of making good videos (and to edit them as well), but photos are no-brainer and turn out really nice! I use photoshop to make them brighter though - other than that no edits or tricks used :)
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